The next time someone despairs that they lead “a dog’s life,” perhaps they should clarify exactly which dog. Historically, aristocrats kept lap dogs as status symbols, showering them with gifts -- a tradition that remains and well, from Chelsea to West Hollywood. And while there’s such a thing as too much, indulging one’s pet is akin to indulging oneself.

The Right StuffThe Perfect Accessories for Your pet

Whatever trend is sweeping across a certain industry -- foodies and their locally sourced organic fare, fall runways riddled with cozy cashmere turtlenecks -- you can be sure that some great mind will recreate it in puppy proportions and slap a price tag on it. In his exploration of the dynamics between people and their critters, “Why Do People Love Their Pets?” Professor John Archer speaks about mankind’s impulse to treat domesticated animals as substitute children, making them take part in cultural rituals that we’ve cultivated for ourselves. But what of it? With an array of options -- from the tongue-in-cheek to the downright ridiculous -- there’s something for every canine desire. Here are some of our favorites.

10.Baha Men, “Who Let the Dogs Out?”“I wouldn’t touch this music with a 10-foot pooper scooper.”

Dogs on a Catwalk

Pets already have their own fashion week (it’s true!), but lately the pageantry of trotting them down a runway has jumped from specialist dog shows to the high couture runways of Milan and Paris. When Isaac Mizrahi paraded poodles dyed to match the color of his models’ ensembles, The New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn drily noted that the Westminster Kennel Dog Show and Fashion Week overlapped that year and it was a “shame, considering there’s not that much difference between the two events.” Thom Browne’s show for Moncler Gamme Bleu for Fall 2011 featured hunting regalia complete with hounds leading the way. And Betsey Johnson once sent Kelly Osbourne down her runway carrying a fluffy black Pomeranian, proving that a pedigree pooch is the acme of fashion accessories.